Highlights of Sydney Festival

words by josh ives

Sydney Festival 2017.

150 events, 46 venues, 23 days. It’s just another one of a million reasons to be joyful at the fact you exist in such a banger of a city! Each and every January, Sydney decides to reinvent itself and kick it up another gear by transforming the city into a hub of events which boldly celebrate the highest quality art and entertainment for kids and adults alike.

Described as ‘kaleidoscopic’ in its range of diverse acts and events, the Sydney Festival has something for literally everyone to enjoy as it whirls through the city. Hosting burlesque, crazy cabaret, high energy jazz, indie rock, classical music, theatre and much, much more.

Running from the January 7-29, there’s still much more to enjoy. I thought I’d take you back to look at what amazing events this annual fun-fest has already given us in such a short space of time! Think of it as the sweet aftertaste of entrees to set you up for the main course!

The Beach
Located at the Barangaroo Reserve, this is a beach the likes of which you have never seen before. I’ll save you the suspense, there’s no sand or water…and it’s inside – but apart from that, it is everything a regular beach is, just way more fun!

Made up of a whopping 1.1 million white balls, The Beach is a kids ball pit on roids! Equipped with beach chairs, umbrellas and actual beach lifeguards, this is all the fun of a beach without the fear of the sunburn. I’m not kidding, dive in with your mates and get jazzy with it. You know what, make it really Snapchat worthy and synchronise a routine. As if we needed another awesome beach to makes everyone jealous about! Sydney, you’ve done it again.

Scent of Sydney
Ever come home from a long day, and that delicious aroma of a top meal hits you the moment you walk through the door? You know you’re in for a treat when the smell is almost as good as the meal itself! Smell is a funny old thing, ain’t it? We pursue good smells, and move briskly away from bad ones! It’s what keeps the perfume and cologne industry booming, and is the reason we buy certain candles. Yep, smell is the buzzword today, but the intriguing Scent of Sydney stall has something a little different in store for your nose than just flowers.

If someone blindfolded you and took you to a new part of the city, would you know where you were just by smell? Yeah me neither, but it’s an interesting concept and one that has got Sydney talking. For the Harry-Potter fans out there, it’s like the Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans for your nose, and boy does Cat Jones have more than a few weird and wonderful smells bottled up for your pleasure, and some for your displeasure. From freshly mown grass to the aura of wet laundry, get ready for an experience you won’t soon forget.

Exit
You ready to make it real? It’s not all fun and games, guys. This thought-provoking piece is a 360-degree map of a planet in trouble. You know about it, I’m sure – we hear Greenpeace lobby for cleaner environments, and various political groups lobby about the global warming crisis – but here is your chance to fully experience the extremity upon which our planet needs a firm wake-up call. The brainchild of Paul Virilio, Exit is an experience unlike any other as we are given a shocking visualisation of all the threats that pose a global breakdown. From displacement of populations, disasters (both natural and man-made), to environmental destruction, this jarring and unerring experience will be sure to leave you with an open jaw and a new perception of the mortality of our home.

Prize Fighter
This one is not to be missed. Combine the emotional rollercoaster of theatre with the high-octane, adrenaline rush of live boxing and you get Prize Fighter. A theatrical biopic that tells the story of a young boy who managed to escape his brutal Congolese roots to find refugee status in Australia, whilst never giving up on his dream to make it as a professional boxer. The most heart-warming boxing story since Rocky, Pacharo Mzembe brings the role of Isa to life with his own hard-earned boxing skills, and fantastic direction and ensemble cast. For 70 minutes, leave reality as you watch and root for Isa in his story. Will his hard work and boxing prowess pay off, or will his past demons as a boy soldier overcome him?

Covered
If you’ve never heard of Yana Alana, you’re certainly about too! This lewd, crude and gut-bustingly hilarious one-woman show returns to shock and amaze in her hugely entertaining show, Covered. Aptly named, the show covers just about everything you could possibly want from a cabaret performance: this camp, trashy AF singing, dancing diva will have you in stitches and dying for more. Join Yana and her all-female backing band for a night to remember.

Sydney Festival 2017. Get involved! #sydfest